The present invention relates to a pressure and rotary type washing machine and a washing method by using such, and more particularly to a pressure and rotary type washing machine and a washing method by using such, in which the laundry articles are washed by a composite washing operation comprising a gentle hand washing, a beating, a scrubbing, and a rolling and rotating actions provided by an agitation by forward and reversed directional rotation of an agitator, a pressing by a pressure member movably provided upwards and downwards inside the dehydrating and washing tub, and also folding and rolling by rollers rotatably mounted at the agitating member.
Generally, a known automatic washing machine has relatively simple arrangement provided with an outer cabinet, an imperforate tub mounted inside said outer cabinet, a perforated dehydrating and washing tub (hereinafter referred to simply as the washing tub) mounted inside said imperforate tub and adapted to wash the laundry articles and dehydrate the washed laundry articles, an agitating vane wheel (pulsator) disposed in the bottom of said washing tub and a drive motor disposed below the bottom wall of said imperforate tub and adapted for selectively driving said agitating vane wheel and said washing tub.
In addition, the known automatic washing machine schematically comprises a washing part for practically executing the washing action by directly applying the washing power, such as frictional power, to the laundry articles being washed, a driving part for driving said washing part and a supporting part for supporting said washing and driving parts.
In the general operation of the washing machine of the above arrangement, the driving motor rotates so as to drive the agitating vane wheel in order to circulate the washing water, thereby causing the laundry articles to rotate accompanied with the circulating water flow in order to be washed.
However, the known washing machine adopts a washing method in which the laundry articles are, during simple rotation thereof in accompaniment with the circulating water flow, washed by frictional powers generated respectively between the laundry articles and the agitating vane wheel, between the laundry articles and the inner surface of the washing tub, and among the laundry articles themselves so that the gentle hand washing and beating action may be not sufficient to completely wash clothes having partially heavy dirt. Furthermore, there are drawbacks that the circulation of the laundry is so deficient that the laundry articles may not be washed sufficiently except for parts contacting with the agitating vane wheel, and additionally, there is an excessive spending of the washing water.
The inventors of the present application have, therefore, studied for a few years in order to provide a washing machine having a washability which is so ameliorated that the above-mentioned drawbacks can be solved.
Especially, the inventors have concentrated more in study of the washing part, which directly executes the washing operation than another parts of the washing machine as above-mentioned, so as to make said washing part provide a good washing effect as if the laundry articles were washed by the human hands.
There has been, therefore, proposed another type of known washing machine capable of improving the washability in efforts of providing a washing machine having an improved washing part. This type of washing machine is generally called a pressure and rotary type of washing machine. Generally, almost of these types of washing machines proposed by the inventors, each is provided with a washing tub newly including a pressure member adapted for applying a pressure to the laundry articles and rollers adapted to apply a rolling action to the laundry articles so as to provide a composite washing operation comprising a gently hand washing, a beating, and also a rolling and rotating action for the laundry articles, thereby improving the washability considerably. In addition, the proposed washing machines have been proposed as several types in accordance with the change of the arrangement of the pressure member and the rollers, and also the variations of the driving style.
One example of the above mentioned pressure and rotary type washing machines capable of improving the washability is disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 89-9042 filed in the name of the same assignee of this application on Jun. 29, 1989 and published on Jan. 30, 1991. as Korean Laid Open Patent Publication No. 91-1147. This patent application discloses a washing machine and a washing method capable of mechanically executing a composite washing operation so as to reduce the clothes damage and the amount used of the washing water, and make it possible to wash the relatively large quantity of laundry articles and also provide a good washing effect as if the laundry articles were washed by the human hands.
As shown in FIG. 1, the above pressure and rotary type washing machine executing a composite washing operation comprising a pressure stroke when the pressure member is reciprocated in relation to the laundry articles laid on the bottom of the washing tub in order to press said laundry articles, and an agitation stroke when the washing tub rotates in order to agitate the laundry articles therein. This washing machine is provided with a washing tub section 101 including a pressure member comprising a circular pressure plunger 102 and rollers 103 rotatably mounted to said plunger 102, a link mechanism 104 adapted for reciprocating said pressure member, a link driving member 112 adapted for extending and retracting said link mechanism 104, a rotary spacer 111 and a driving screw 114 rotatably connected with said link driving member 112 and adapted for transmitting the rotation power from a link driving motor 109 which is also connected to said spacer 111 and adapted for providing said rotation power and a pressure absorber 105, and a washing tub driving section including a clutch 106, belt pulleys 107, a belt 107' connecting said belt pulleys 107 and a tub driving motor 108 adapted to rotate said washing tub 101, respectively.
In operation, the above-mentioned pressure and rotary type washing machine executes the composite washing operation comprising the following washing operations. First, as shown in FIG. 2A, simultaneously with the agitation of the washing tub 101 the reciprocation of the pressure plunger 102 occurs so that the laundry articles may be subject to the vortex flow of the washing water generated from said agitation of the washing tub 101, the frictional power and the wringing power by the rollers 103 generated from said reciprocation of the pressure plunger 102. Second, as shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, the pressure plunger 102 descends toward the laundry articles during the forward directional rotation of the washing tub 101, on the contrary, ascends during the reversed directional rotation of the washing tub 101 so that the laundry articles are first washed by the fictional power and periodically wringing power provided by the rollers 107, and thereafter, turned over in order to be second washed by the same manner. Third, as shown in FIGS. 2D and 2E, the pressure plunger 102 stops the reciprocation during the agitation of the washing tub 101, on the contrary, the pressure plunger 102 is repeatedly reciprocated upwards and downwards during the temporary rest of the washing tub 101 so that the laundry articles can be washed. Fourth, as shown in FIG. 2F, the pressure plunger 102 is continuously reciprocated while the washing tub 101 continues stopping so that the laundry articles can be washed, thereby prevented from the occurrence of the crease, which may often happen in a wool washing process. Thereafter, the washed laundry articles are subject to the dehydration process in the washing tub 101.
Additionally, there has been proposed another known washing machine having an improved link driving member as disclosed in Korean Utility Model Application No. 89-16911 filed on Nov. 15, 1989.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, this washing machine comprises a pressure plunger 102 disposed inside the washing tub 101, a link mechanism 104 mounted between the base plate 115a under the cover 115 and the said pressure plunger 102, a spur gear 116 having at the center thereof a threaded rod 116a downwardly and integrally formed therewith and engaging with the link driving gear 117 of the link driving motor 109, a threaded guide member 119 engaging with the threaded rod 116a downwardly penetrating the base plate 115a, and having a connecting pin 119a which is inserted into a connecting hole formed at the upper portion of the link mechanism 104 in order to provide a connection therebetween, a sliding guide member 118 mounted on the pressure plunger 102 and connected with the lower portion of the link member 104 by means of a connecting pin 118a. Thus in this type of washing machine, the link mechanism 104 can be extended or retracted in response to the rotational direction of the spur gear 116.
In the drawings, the reference numerals 120, 121 and 122 denote a guide rods for guiding the threaded guide member 119 fixed to the base plate 115, a sliding guide member guiding rod fixed onto the pressure plunger 102 and a radial bearing for supporting the rotation of the spur gear 116, respectively.
In operation of the above washing machine, the link driving gear 117 connected to the link driving motor 109 rotates forwardly so as to rotate the spur gear 116 in the reversed direction, thereby causing the threaded guide member 119 connected to the threaded rod 116a of the spur gear 116 to move downwardly under guiding of the threaded guide member guiding rods 120 fixed to the base plate 115a. Thus, the link mechanism 104 connected to the threaded guide member 119 by means of the connecting pin 119a will be retracted. Therefore, the pressure plunger 102 ascends in accordance with the retraction of the link mechanism 104. At this time, the sliding guide member 118 can simply slide along the sliding guide member guiding rod 121 fixed to the pressure plunger 102.
On the contrary, the pressure plunger 102 will be descended in response to the reversed directional rotation of the link driving gear 117 so that the laundry articles will be subject to the composite washing operation provided by the pressure plunger and the agitating member. Thus, the above-mentioned washing machine can improve the washability for the laundry articles by the reciprocation of the pressure plunger 102 in response to the forward and reversed directional rotation of the link driving motor 109.
It has been known that the above-mentioned pressure and rotary types of washing machines could increase the washing effect. However, there has been disadvantage that the circulation of the washing water was not sufficient to completely wash the laundry articles. Furthermore, the washing machines have another disadvantage that there must be necessary a considerably high pressure over a predetermined pressure (over about 50 Kgf) in order to improve the washing effect because of the rollers mounted to the pressure plunger, thus the supporting structure for supporting the pressure plunger must have a relatively high strength and the output of the link driving motor must be considerably increased. In addition, there is another disadvantage that a part of the laundry articles near the bottom of the washing tub may be deficiently washed, while another part of the laundry articles near the pressure plunger may be sufficiently washed as a result of the circulation of the washing water.
In an effort of solving the above-mentioned disadvantages of the pressure and rotary type washing machine, the application of the present invention proposed another pressure and rotary type washing machine and a method for controlling such as disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 90-3711 filed on Mar. 20, 1990.
As shown in FIG. 5, this pressure and rotary type of washing machine comprises the similar elements to the previously proposed and above-mentioned pressure and rotary type washing machines except for newly including pressure absorbers 105 each provided under the pressure plunger 102 capable of being reciprocated by the link mechanism 104 and having an outlet port for a detergent, rollers 103 rotatably mounted to the rotary vane 123 disposed at the bottom of a fixed type washing bath 110.
This washing machine washes the laundry articles by a composite washing operation comprising a pressure stroke operation and an agitation stroke operation, said pressure stroke operation in which the upper dead point of the pressure plunger 102 is previously controlled to be located at a 1.2 times higher position than a height occupied by the hydrated laundry articles in the washing water before the reciprocation of the pressure plunger 102 and said agitation stroke operation comprising a rotation of the rotary vane provided with the rollers 103 in order to agitate the laundry articles 123.
In operation of the above washing machine, the rollers 103 of the rotary vane 123 rotate according to the rotation of the rotary vane 123 so as to generate a frictional power between the rolling rollers 103 and the laundry articles disposed between the pressure plunger 102 and the rotary vane 123, which frictional power make the laundry articles be forced to rotate. However, the pressure plunger 102 is fixed at the above-mentioned predetermined position so that the laundry articles may be lumped together and also the rollers 103 of the rotary vane 123 can function as if they were protrusions, thereby causing the rollers 103 to apply a pressing and scrubbing action to the laundry articles. Also, irrespective of occurrence of the over friction between the rollers 103 and the laundry articles, the rollers 103 do not give any damage, which damage may be happened by the excessive friction or over pressure, to the laundry articles because they are mounted to the rotary vane 123 so as to freely rotate with respect to the rotary vane 123.
In addition, the laundry articles spirally rolls under the pressure plunger 102 as a result of the friction generated by the pressure plunger 102 so that the laundry articles can smoothly and continuously circulate with the washing water inside the fixed washing bath 110, thereby providing advantages of an equal washing effect and an improved washability simultaneously with solving the above described disadvantages encountered in the previously proposed washing machines.
Furthermore, this type of washing machine allows the washing water to be supplied in order to be contained inside the washing bath 110 by a random height between two heights occupied by the lower surface of the pressure plunger 102 and the hydrated laundry articles in the washing water, respectively, so that the washing bath ratio can be reduced to about 10:1 in weight of the washing water:volume of the laundry articles, which washing bath ratio is so economical washing bath ratio that the amount used of washing water can be reduced to a degree of 1/3 on the basis of the generally demanded ratio over about 30:1.
However, this type of washing machine adopts a lagy tongs mechanism in which the pressure plunger 102 is downwardly hanged to the upper portion inside the washing bath 110 so that there may be happened a swinging during the movement of the pressure plunger 102 and the connecting portions of the link mechanism may be possible to be broken down for long time usage. Furthermore, there has been a disadvantage of increasing the volume of the washing machine so that it may be not easy to treat the washing machine, which disadvantage is known to us not to be solved with having the basic structure.
There has been, therefore, proposed another pressure and rotary type washing machine of which a driving mechanism for driving the pressure plunger is so developed that the pressure plunger can be stably and directly reciprocated along the washing tub as disclosed in Korean Utility Model Application No. 89-16906 filed by this applicant on Nov. 15, 1989.
As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, this type of washing machine is provided with a pair of racks 202 vertically mounted at both sides of the washing bath 201, a pair of pinions 203 rotatably mounted at diametrically spaced ends of the circular pressure plunger 204, respectively, which plunger 204 has a relatively smaller diameter than the inner diameter of the washing tub 201, a pinion drive reversible motor 205 and a wire pulley 208 enclosed inside the pressure plunger 204 and adapted for driving said pinion 203 and winding a wire cable 207 round said pulley 208, respectively, said wire connected to the cover 206 at a free end thereof. Also enclosed inside the pressure plunger 204 between the pinion drive motor 205 and a pinion 203 are an anti-rotation stopper 209 and a magnetic first stopper 210 each adapted for preventing the pressure plunger 204 from rotating centering around the pinion drive shaft of the drive motor 205. This washing machine is additionally provided with a second magnetic stopper 212 mounted at the upper portion of the outer imperforated tub 211 and adapted for rearranging the racks 202 with respect to the pinions 203 after dehydrating process, and also a limit switch 213 and a circular depression 214 each provided inside the cover 206.
In operation of the above-mentioned washing machine, the pulley 208 rotates forward and reversed direction according to the rotation of the reversible drive motor 205 so that the pressure plunger 204 suspended by the tension power of the wire 207 being wound on and unraveled from the pulley 208 may be reciprocated upward and downward inside the washing tub 201, thereby making the laundry articles be subject to the pressure of the plunger 204.
Therefore, this type of washing machine provides the pressure plunger 204 which can be stably reciprocated inside the washing tub 201 without any swinging so that the pressing effect can be considerably increased as compared to the previously mentioned washing machine having a link mechanism. Furthermore, this washing machine has so compact that most of driving elements can be enclosed inside the pressure plunger 204 instead of being separately installed at the outside of the washing tub.
However, there has been known that the above-mentioned several types of pressure and rotary type washing machines had several drawbacks of complicate driving structure for driving the pressure plunger because of the necessity of the continuous reciprocation of the pressure plunger during the washing process, and overload loaded to the driving mechanism as a result of continuous reciprocation of the pressure plunger, increasing the amount used of electric power and generation of severe noise.